Page 90 of Every Which Way

If someone was down here, she didn’t want to alert them to her presence by talking to Bruce over the comms. She didn’t hear anything on his end.

What had happened?

He’d indicated someone was going to discover him. But a trained spy would be able to evade being seen—unless his intention was to be caught.

Where was her mother and Zeyla? She could help them, but if her mom didn’t let her in on the plan, then there wasn’t much she could do. Who wanted to insert themselves into a situation where they weren’t welcome. It hurt her feelings a bit. But maybe there was a reason her mom was keeping her out of this. Like she was proactively trying to save Kenna from these people.

Her feet touched flat tile, colder than the wood of the stairs.

Kenna ran her hand over the wall, trying to find a light switch. She found some kind of switch and flicked it on. Overhead lighting flickered and then stuck in a dim yellow glow that switched on closest to her first. One by one, lights on the ceiling illuminated going away from her. A long hallway that took a minute to light up all the way down.

Her eyes widened.

In front of her was a dining table and chairs set up, and to the left, behind a glass wall with a door in the center, she could see racks of wine. Kept in a temperature-controlled environment.

Past the table, stacks of barrels used to age wine and other drinks were lined up. She didn’t know a whole lot about that process, but some of the barrels were stained red where the wine seemed to be leaking out.

If she wanted to cause a big problem, she could knock some shelves over. But right now, that would only be out of spite.

Upstairs, the police were already rounding people up. Arresting whoever they’d come here for or searching the place. Or were they commandeering equipment and documentation? She let out a frustrated grunt. Not being in the know was the worst.

Since there was no one around, she said, “Bruce, do you copy?” Her voice echoed in the open space, bouncing off the stone walls and wood barrels.

She sensed someone else, like she wasn’t entirely alone.

Bruce never responded.

She took a step into the open room and looked around for another door…or a person. “Mrs. Hadley.”

A woman stood beside a pedestal table, pouring herself a glass.

She wore a white pair of slacks and a white blouse that fit her loosely. Plenty of gold bracelets, and white sandals on her feet. She laughed a little. “Want some? We can toast that man’s demise.”

Kenna stared at her as she turned, then had to keep her gasp to herself.

“As if you don’t have an injury.” She motioned to Kenna with the glass nearly overflowing. Half the side of her face was angry with welts and bruises, and something wept from her left eye. She lifted her sleeve and wiped at it. In spots on the side of her head, it looked like her hair had been pulled out.

“Did Hadley do that?” Kenna asked. “It’s Clare, right? Is that really your name?”

“That would be my sister. My dead sister.”

“Sorry for your loss.”

She shrugged and took a sip of the drink. “It’s the one left alive that you should feel sorry for. The one who has to explain, justify, and suffer the consequences of that loss.”

“Amara traded you back.” Her mother had been coming here with Roxanne and Clare to exchange them for Zeyla. Kenna wanted desperately to know if that had been successful. “Isn’t that right?”

Or was it the reason her sister was dead.

This woman could either be the one she’d fought with in Hadley’s house or the one Stairns had tussled with. “Maybe I will have that drink. After you tell me your name.”

“What does it matter who any of us is?” She turned back to the bottle on a tray with a circle of short glasses. “But for what it’s worth, I’m Garnet.”

“Like the gem? That’s a nice name.”

“I sound like a stripper. I don’t use it.” She handed Kenna the glass.

Kenna sniffed it and discovered it was brandy, not whiskey. She didn’t like one and had never had the other. But if she needed a quick weapon, tossing this thing at Garnet was the fastest way to distract this woman so Kenna could either subdue her or make a run for it.

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